How to Get Your Art Into the Brooklyn Art Library

The Brooklyn Art Library is a really cool space that a lot
of people remain unaware of. This is sad because it means that people are
missing out on exploring great works of creativity when they visit Brooklyn.
It’s also sad because there are a lot of artists out there who could have their
work archived in this library and they don’t even know it. And guess what, you
don’t even need to be a professional working artist with a body of work to get
featured in this library. You simply need to participate in some fun projects
associated with the library.

What is Brooklyn Art
Library?

Just like the name says, this is a library for works of art.
It was opened in early 2010. You can go here and check out scrapbooks and other
forms of art that are stored here. The library is located at 103A N. 3rd
Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. As of the time of this writing, the
library is open daily with varied hours (such as 10 am – 8 pm on weekends).
This is a really unique place that very few people have the opportunity to
visit so it’s definitely something worth checking out if you get the chance.

Art House Coop
Projects

Many of the works of art that are placed in the Brooklyn Art
Library are the result of projects that are launched by Art House Coop. There
are some really terrific things about these projects including:

o The
projects are collaborative. Many, many different artists come together to
participate in these projects. The projects typically tour the nation and then
end up in the Brooklyn Art Library. In some cases, the projects may be
digitized so that you can also access them online.

o Artists
of all different levels participate in these projects. Amateur artists who have
never had their work publicly shown before can participate in these projects as
can working artists of all different levels.

o Many
different mediums are accepted into these projects. Although the projects have
themes and rules, they also allow you to apply these things liberally so that
your own creativity isn’t quashed. This makes them great for the participants
and also results in a varied body of work that is great for display at the
Brooklyn Art Library.

How to Get Your Work
Into the Brooklyn Art Library

If you want to have your work featured in the Brooklyn Art
Library then you should participate in an Art House Coop Project. Doing so is
simple. Follow these steps:

o Sign
up for that project. This typically involves a small fee with an added charge
if you want your project to be digitized. The fee supports the project and the
space.

o Complete
the project, following the rules, and send it in by the deadline date.

o When
the project goes to the Brooklyn Art Library, your work of art will be
included.

Examples of Art House
Coop Projects

The most popular Art House Coop project is an annual project
called The Sketchbook Project. You receive a sketchbook from Art House Coop and
fill it in with your creative interpretation of the theme that you have
selected from their available options. You return the sketchbook and it tours
galleries and art space around the country before finally ending up on display
at the Brooklyn Art Gallery.

Examples of other recent and current Art House Coop Projects
include:

o Pockets.
Collect artifacts out of pockets to fill up twenty different categories and
then submit them to participate in this unusual art project designed to end
pocket clutter.

o The
Fiction Project. This is similar to the Sketchbook Project but includes more
opportunity to incorporate text with visual art in the work of art that you
create to tour the country and live in the Brooklyn Art Museum.

o A
Million Little Photographs. You sign up to receive a digital camera. You take
twenty seven photos on that camera based on a theme. At least one of those
photos will be included in the Photomobile, a library on wheels that tours the
country.

Reasons to
Participate

So why would you want to join these projects and have your
work showcased in the Brooklyn Art Library? Here are some reasons:

o It’s
a chance to challenge your creativity in a structured manner with a theme and a
deadline.

o It
supports a creative space that is unique and fascinating and contributes to the
local Brooklyn culture.

o Having
your works of art stored in a library is really cool.

Connect with Other
Artists

The Brooklyn Art Library provides a terrific opportunity for
artists of all kinds to connect with one another. The library itself is a great
creative meeting space. People wander in there to check out the art books
because they are clearly interested in unique art. Those types of people are
always interesting to get to know. Additionally, you can connect with other
artists because of the very nature of the Art House Coop projects. You can meet
other artists at the events that tour the country. You can do an “artist search”
on the site to find artists you like and see more of their work. And of course
there’s always the option of connecting through blogs and Facebook interaction,
both of which are available from Art House Coop.

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